How to calculate holiday pay for part-time workers

If you're in regular employment in the UK, doing a job where you are in the pay as you earn (PAYE) tax system, you are entitled by law to 5.6 weeks paid holiday per year. That translates to 28 working days off per year. For workers who do a standard, five-day week, that makes holiday entitlement straightforward to calculate. However, if you're a part-time worker, things are a little more complicated. You're still entitled to paid time off, but calculated pro rata in relation to the actual hours you work.

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Instructions

1

Note down how many hours you work each week. Most jobs have eight-hour shifts with an unpaid hour off for lunch, so each day you work counts as seven hours. On the other hand, you may only work part of each day. In that case, multiply the number of hours you work each day by the number of days you work each week.

2

Convert the number of hours you work into days by dividing the total number of hours by seven. For example, if you work 14 hours each week, your number of days worked is two. Some jobs may have an eight-hour working day. In that case, divide your total hours by eight.

3

Multiply the number of days you work each week by 5.6 to get your annual leave entitlement. For example, if you work two days each week, you're entitled to 11.2 days paid holiday each year.

4

Calculate your daily pay rate by dividing your weekly wage by the number of days you work each week. Multiply the number of days' holiday entitlement you have by your daily pay rate. The result is your annual holiday pay entitlement.

Tips and warnings

If you have a dispute with your employer about holiday entitlement that can't be resolved through the workplace grievance procedure, seek advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau or trade union.